Weekend in the Thun region

We are quite busy right now, figuring a new place to leave next, with still a doubt on the location. I am waiting for answers and interviews from employers in Bern and also in Lausanne, so we have to look both in the German and French side of Switzerland!

Anyway, the weekend we don't stop to explore more this beautiful country. Saturday, we visited the Medieval city of Thun with its old castle and peaceful lac. Then Sunday, we went for a hike to the top of the mountain Stockhorn (2190 meters). We took a cable train to get closer because you will need more than a full day to make it up and down!

We came back exhausted but happy with our day even if we got a 55 CHF parking ticket! Apparently, there is NO FREE parking anywhere in Switzerland. We should have guess that. But to finish with a little fact much nicer, our temporary address is Stockhornstrasse (Stockhorn Street).

THUN, Saturday June 15th

 

The Swiss surfers training on the agitated Aar river! They seem to have a lot of fun!

STOCKHORN, Sunday June 16th

 The lake Hinterstockensee at 1592 meters

 The restaurant Oberstockalp

 My Love, happy to be there!

 A huge calcite crystal, WTF!

 We are in the empty space! Free vertigo!

 PICS TIME! My hair went crazy with this wind!

 The lake Hinterstockensee from the top!

 The Stockhorn! We arrived FINALLY after a steep walk under the warm sun

 We ate lunch on the top of this rock. The view was just amazing!

 Crocus flowers everywhere!

 It is still snowy in some part of the mountain and even the second lake Obertstockensee has ice on it!

 Lively stream from the melting of the snow!

 Back to the first lake!

 The building at the top right corner is the observatory where we hiked

Here is the famous cable train! It is definitely very convenient to get closer to the top of the mountain!

What will be our next hike? Vielen Danke und bis bald!

Petite escapade en Emmental autour de la fabrique Kambly ( hiking in the Emmental region-Kambly factory)

Today we went to hike in the Emmental region: We did not visit a cheese factory as you would think, but the famous traditional Swiss cookies factory Kambly. 

In 1910, Oscar Kimbly created  the Emmental "Bretzeli" - baked according to his grandmother's recipe. 
Since then, the Bretzeli is still made in the factory with the same ingredients of the original recipe and the iron mold with the Kambly symbol. 

For more insight about their products, this is their website link. Just to let you know, they export in the world and you can find their products even in America! For instance, they are the first to have made Goldfish shape cookies!!!!

http://www.kambly.com/en/weltweit/kambly-a-small-thank-you-for-life/our-product-lines.html

I recommend you to try the Bretzeli, they are DELICIOUS!

After 4 hours hike, a sweet break was so welcome!

Fromage et Chocolat

For the long Ascension weekend and first "holiday" in Switzerland, we went 2 days to La Gruyere ( French speaking region).

First day: Gruyere or the cheese paradise

we stopped to Gruyere village where they make the famous cheese and we visited the factory ou "La Maison du Gruyere".

 Do you know that you need 400 liters of milk to make one cheese of 35 kg?

 The robot that turns and washes the cheese with salt during their maturation stage

 The two milk tanks in the factory on the left and the molds on the right

The huge Cheese of Gruyere ready to eat! Can I have just a slice please?

Then, we walked up to the Medieval Castle de Gruyere and we had a nice view from the valley but also we discovered interesting objects inside.

Dinner time and of course we ate a cheese fondue. Nathan and I did pretty well eating the whole pot of melting  cheese with fresh bread and potatoes. We needed a digestive walk after but no regrets, it was awesome food.

Second day: Broc or the Nestlé-Cailler Chocolate factory

After the cheese, the chocolate is missing to conclude our first tour in the beautiful country of Switzerland.

Cailler is a Swiss brand of high quality Chocolate bought by Nestlé in 1928 and nowaday people have access to the factory and can taste their chocolates at the end (we add at least 7 samples each). I never eat so much chocolate in my life!

That is about a sweet post. See you in a couple of weeks for new adventures!